Review: Hedda Gabler at Sherman Theatre

Last night Zoey and I headed to Sherman Theatre to see Hedda Gabler. Read on to see what we thought of the performance…

Review: Hedda Gabler at Sherman Theatre

Hedda Gabler was created by Henrik Ibsen and it premiered in 1891. It follows the story of Hedda, a young newlywed who comes face to face with pieces of her past.

We had no idea what Hedda Gabler was about, going into the production blind, which I love to do! It’s always interesting to see a new story, with fresh eyes…

The lights went down and we were thrown into the world of Hedda. The stage was set with simple furniture and props, with flowers marking a large portion of the visuals. In hindsight I feel these offered up Hedda’s fragility, the fragility of life and mortality itself.

Zoey loved the opening moments, and I have to agree. It drew us in and kept us there, watching life through Hedda’s eyes. Hedda is performed by Heledd Gwynn, and her performance was flawless. I loved her presentation of Hedda, a fragile, unhinged and slightly manipulative (in my opinion haha!) character. I loved the fact that she didn’t wear shoes through the entire performance, a kind of grounding earthly symbolism that reached out to me. As if she and the earth were one.

Her husband, George Tesman (Marc Antolin) was performed with feverish energy, and he was in complete contrast to Hedda. I liked Antolin’s almost manic presence on stage, and his passion for everything (particularly his slippers). Their relationship felt strained, and Antolin’s performance offered a character oblivious to the cracks.

Housekeeper Bertha (Caroline Berry) received the brunt of Hedda’s anger, and her part in the play offers a level of sadness and concern. Her relationship with Juliana (Nia Roberts) is lovely, and their interaction on stage was thoughtful and sentimental.

Richard Mylan performed as Judge Brack, a bold and arrogant character who taunts Hedda throughout. He had a strong presence on stage, as usual, and it was lovely to see him perform once more (it’s been too long!).

Jay Saighal played Eilert Loevborg, the love interest of Hedda and Thea. His character was complex and his pain was evident as he tried to win back Hedda’s heart and break Thea’s simultaneously. His interaction with the characters was interesting to watch, taunted by his past and longing for a brighter future to no avail.

For me personally, Alexandria Riley’s performance of Thea Elvsted stole the show. I felt tears well up on a few occasions as her heart broke on stage. Her performance was phenomenal and I wanted to go onto the stage and just hug her. She gave her all to this performance, and the more I see her the more I am in awe of her. She has the ability to reach into the hearts of the audience and show them her character’s anguish, a skill I’ve rarely seen over the many years of attending theatre.

Overall we enjoyed Hedda Gabler, it is certainly a deep insight into the psyche of the various characters, in particular Hedda and Eilert. Part of me wanted to shake Hedda and show her the pain she caused, but at the same time her mental health was the focal point of the play, and in hindsight I would have probably given her a big hug and listened to her. Her character felt very silenced throughout, especially during the scenes with the male characters, which to this day feels poignant and also extremely heartbreaking.

Hedda Gabler is interesting and deeply disturbing at times, a reflection of the human condition and the suffocation and control of women as a whole, as well as strongly focusing on mental health on all levels.

It’s certainly left us with a lot to ponder, so if that’s your bag then book tickets for this performance now!

You can get tickets for Hedda Gabler (running until 2nd November) from the Sherman Theatre website or pop in and book at the box office.